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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842620">Golden Valley</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sons_of_Sirens/pseuds/Sons_of_Sirens'>Sons_of_Sirens</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, Alternate Universe - Bittybones (Undertale), BITTIES, BittyBones, Boss - Freeform, Buddy comedy, Domestic Fluff, FellSwap Gold, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Underfell, cappy - Freeform, comedy and idiocy, happy fluff, i think in this the year of 2020 we could all use a pick me up, other bitties to come, read this if your brain is doing a sad and you want to feel better, sin-free and happy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:14:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842620</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sons_of_Sirens/pseuds/Sons_of_Sirens</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One bitty, unhappy with his mediocre lot in life, sets out to find a wealthy human household.</p><p>Another bitty, left by the side of the road in the rain, waits for his humans to come back.</p><p>A third bitty, injured by humans, hides away, having given up on family.</p><p>And in the distance, a beautiful place called Golden Valley.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sub Par</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kharons_End/gifts">Kharons_End</a>.</li>



    </ul><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>People are contained, in more ways than one.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything about this place was sub-par.</p><p> </p><p>From the cheaply-printed laminate posters of bitty “Adoption Options” on the walls, to the scratched-up plexiglass holding tanks, right down to the heavily-trafficked commercial carpeting which, despite being dyed gray <em>specifically</em> to hide dirt and wear, somehow failed to conceal either. A large worn spot just in front of the entrance held three year's worth of ground-in mud from shoes and boots. The cleaning staff were ambivalent about their tasks, at <em>best</em>. And with the torrential rainstorm this afternoon, the floor was quickly becoming a muddied, soggy disaster.</p><p>The Cappy behind the plexiglass stared at the automatic front doors despondently. Sitting alone in his holding tank on a small plastic chair, on display for the wretched big people and their twice-wretched, sticky-fingered children, he tapped a foot up and down, up and down, in irritation.</p><p>It had happened again today. Some big humans came along with their disheveled offspring, looking for a “best friend” to adopt into a “forever home.” The same kind of idiot wording you use when buying a witless puppy. They had let their child rush headlong into the Bitty Adoption Center (so unsafe!) and poke and prod around the bitty holding tanks (unattended!), squealing loudly with glee at the starry-eyed Baby Blues, making faces at the growling Edgies, tapping the glass at the sleepy Lil Bros <em>despite the very clear sign that said not to tap on the glass</em><span>, before landing in front of Cappy's solitary tank. A tank with quite a bit of wording taped to the front of it, in easy-to-read font. Hardly anyone ever did bother to read it, but if they had, they would have been informed that the well-dressed little bitty inside, with his black military uniform, cape-like red scarf and tall red boots, was a Cappy...a rare breed of bitty that loved luxury and pampering at the hands of educated, worldly people. A bitty who could rival human chessmasters with his expertise at the game, identify innumerable types of vintage wines and spot a fake luxury watch or purse at a glance. A bitty who wanted nothing more than to be adopted by a wealthy, intelligent adult with an eye for quality and an appreciation for conversing with and spoiling a tiny companion.</span></p><p>None of this information mattered, however, to children who were too young to read.</p><p>“LOOKIT THE FUNNY LITTLE MAN!” the child shrieked, banging on the plexiglass with one dirty palm, the reverberations through the tank giving Cappy an instant headache. He had focused back on the book he was reading and tried to very subtly turn his chair away from the child, pointing it towards the back of the tank. Slowly, of course. No need to be rude.</p><p>
  <span>He had sighed and tried to look absorbed in his reading, unable to fully block out the yelling of the human child, who was now screaming for its parents' attentions. He was a </span>
  <em>rare</em>
  <span> bitty, not some common Sansy or ill-mannered Edgy...what was he even </span>
  <em>doing</em>
  <span> here? This was not the place for him. He should be in a bitty boutique somewhere, if such a thing existed. Somewhere wherein finely-crafted things could be found, where luxury and taste was the theme of the décor...not gaudy, blocky primary colors and the smell of wood shavings. Somewhere that would let him inhale fine wines the way Sansies inhaled ketchup. Somewhere that </span>
  <em>did not allow children.</em>
</p><p>Absorbed in his thoughts, Cappy didn't see the grubby hand that snaked over the top of the enclosure. Too late, he felt the giant fingers circle around him, and by the time he dropped his book and tried to jump out of the way, he was already being picked up.</p><p>
  <span>It was a dizzying trip out of the tank and into the air. The </span>
  <em>horrible</em>
  <span> child was waving Cappy around like a plastic action figure, laughing even as Cappy squirmed and called out.</span>
</p><p>“MYRA!” he shouted as loudly as possible, trying to aim his head towards the front counter. “MYRA! A MOMENT OF YOUR TIME, DEAR!”</p><p>A woman in a green work apron darted out from behind the counter and rushed over. “No no, sweetie!” she said in a panic, grabbing the child's arm and trying to pry Cappy from the vice-like grip that contained him. “We don't grab at bitties, they're people!”</p><p>The little girl clung to Cappy and shrieked as her parents finally appeared, apologizing profusely and attempting to calm her. With them restraining her arm, Myra was able to release Cappy from the child's grip. Finally out of the clutches of giant fingers, Cappy was picked up carefully and deposited safely back in his tank.</p><p>“<span>Folks, we don't allow unattended young children to run around the store!” she said hotly to the embarrassed couple, who at least had the decency to look ashamed. “Someone could get hurt and bitties are </span><em>not</em><span> toys!”</span></p><p>The child, now throwing a tantrum at having been denied her new plaything, was quickly picked up by the mother, both parents apologizing again before quickly exiting the store with their struggling, shrieking offspring. Myra ran a hand through her hair in irritation, then turned to face Cappy's tank.</p><p>“I'm so sorry, I should have kept a closer eye on them,” she said, frowning as Cappy dusted himself off, straightening his uniform.”Are you all right?”</p><p>“Fine, Fine. Thank You For The Timely Rescue,” he answered in a clipped tone, turning away from her to hide a scowl. Myra glanced away, visibly upset.</p><p>“I'm really sorry,” she said again. “Can I get you anything?”</p><p>“A Potential Adopter Who has No Children And Earns Above Three Hundred Grand A Year Would Be Lovely,” Cappy snapped. He instantly regretted his words, turning a rueful smile to the store employee. “My Apologies. I Know It Wasn't Your Fault.”</p><p>“I'm sure you'll find the right person soon, Cap,” Myra said, trying to cheer him up with a smile back, though the stock response she gave him had long since lost its hopeful meaning in the last few months. “In the meantime, I got some of those little imported cheeses at the grocery store, the ones you like? I could go get you one. There's some wine as well.”</p><p>“Yes, Lovely, Thank You For Your Consideration, My Dear,” Cappy said absentmindedly, hands folded behind him as he stared at the floor of the holding tank. He had listened to Myra walk away towards the back room, before turning his attentions to the sound of the rain sheeting down outside.</p><p>All of that had taken place earlier in the day. Cappy was now once more in his little chair, sitting by the corner of the tank and watching the world happen around him. He stared out the nearest window of the shop. It was getting dark out, and the rain showed no signs of stopping</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Everything about him was sub-par.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From the way he couldn't manage to keep an inside voice for more than three seconds, to his incredibly short temper, right down to the mean look he always had on his face, even when things were going his way. He took angry swipes at things that bothered him and left scratches on hands. God knows they'd </span>
  <em>tried.</em>
  <span> He'd been given every opportunity to bond with the family. But he apparently hated them and wanted nothing to do with the humans who had adopted him. </span>
</p><p>So back to the store he was going.</p><p>The Boss bitty sat in the cardboard box they had placed him in. He didn't even try to escape, though the box wasn't taped up. Where would he go, anyway? He was in the back of the car, as the humans drove to the nearest adoption center to drop him off. The windshield wipers streaked a steady beat across the glass, as sheets of heavy rain poured down across the back roads winding through the wooded countryside.</p><p>This was for the best, the humans were saying to each other. Maybe he'd like someone else. Maybe they should have gotten an easier bitty in the first place. This one had just seemed so intelligent in the store, it felt like the right choice at the time. They should have listened to the store manager. This type wasn't easy to home for a reason.</p><p>
  <span>The car screeched to a sudden halt and the man driving it swore. The pouring storm they were driving through had knocked a large branch down from a dead tree, blocking the way. There was no getting around it on this small back country road. They'd have to back up, turn around, then drive a long way around to go an even </span>
  <em>longer</em>
  <span> route to the adoption center. And the storm was getting worse.</span>
</p><p>The couple in the front seats conferred between each other in low voices for awhile. The Boss bitty sat in the cardboard box in the back of the car, listening to the rain hitting the back windows, his head down and his knees drawn up to his chest.</p><p>A car door opened, then another. The rain was suddenly much louder. The bitty braced himself as the box he was in suddenly moved, lifted up into the air. Raindrops were now falling down into the top of it, though the man holding the box strove to fold the sides of the box up and keep the water out. The bitty felt himself being carried somewhere. There was a sound of footsteps on wet ground, as he was jostled about inside his box. Then the box was placed down.</p><p>“This should be fine,” he heard the man reassure the other human. “They're better off in the wild anyway. He can fend for himself. He doesn't even like humans.” The sound of wet footsteps then faded away.</p><p>The Boss poked his head up hesitantly over the side of the cardboard box, just in time to see his family get into their car, turn around and drive away in the rain, leaving him in a cardboard box on the side of the road. He watched the car go until the gray curtains of rain had entirely swallowed it up in the distance.</p><p>He sat down inside the cardboard box, which was already getting very wet. Pulling the flaps of the box down to protect himself, the Boss scrunched up in the corner and closed his eyes, leaning against the corrugated walls.</p><p>
  <span>They </span>
  <em>left</em>
  <span> him. His family left him.</span>
</p><p>He'd tried. God knows he'd tried. He wasn't some stars-in-his-eyes Blue, or a laid-back Sansy. He wasn't cute, or funny, or sweet, or charming, or affectionate...but he'd tried, in his own way.</p><p>But he was just a bad bitty. And this was where bad bitties ended up, apparently. Somewhere on the side of the road, in the middle of the countryside, in a cardboard box.</p><p>The Boss laid down on his side and curled into a ball, ignoring the beating of raindrops on the flimsy, makeshift roof.</p><p>It was getting dark out, and the rain showed no signs of stopping.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Castle On A Hill</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Staying in and breaking out.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last human customers of the day were making their way out of the shop. Cappy breathed a grateful sigh of relief, glad to be out of his little box of a bedroom that was built into the rear of the holding tank. He'd hidden himself in there for several hours, while more children ran around the store. Did human children actually <em>do</em> anything besides shriek, grab and smear sticky things all over their hands and faces?</p><p>One wondered why humans bothered to even have them.</p><p>Certainly he wasn't the only bitty hiding away from huge, pudgy hands trying to snatch at him while guardians and employees were distracted. The sound of grumbling from the Boss and Blackberry tanks was growing, as their residents crawled out from the safety of their bedroom areas. Several Edgies, as usual, had been placed in solitary tanks along the back wall as punishment for nipping prospective adopters.</p><p>The Baby Blues, on the other hand, whined in disappointment that no children had adopted them that day...whining that happened at the end of <em>every</em> day, though at least it was sometimes less loud, if Blue adoptions that day had been brisk. Myra and another worker were busy shushing the Blues, reassuring the perpetually upset Cherries, and giving gentle pats to the aloof Mutts, the latter of whom really took not being adopted the hardest, though they hid it well.</p><p>The store manager, Toby, was leaning against the counter near the front door, talking to some slow human who had yet to grasp the concept of “closing time.” Cappy repositioned his reading chair by the front wall of his tank, settling in with his little book until dinner. He mentally filtered out most of what the humans were discussing, but some still managed to seep through here and there. New in the area, expecting a little one, new job, new house, repairs. Typical human concerns.</p><p>“...down the road from the winery,” the customer was saying.</p><p>Cappy snapped his book shut and perked up his nonexistent ears, reading suddenly forgotten.</p><p>“It's fantastic-looking, you know?” the man said, taking his phone out to show Toby something. “Drove by it when we were house-hunting. You can see it across the field from the road.”</p><p>“Yeah, Golden Valley, that's been there for decades,” Toby nodded, looking at the phone the man was holding up. “I bought some of their stuff a few times. It's amazing when you can buy directly from the vineyard and not just grab a bottle off a shelf at the store. More authentic. There's a whole farmhouse attached to the winery.”</p><p>Cappy stood up on his little plastic chair, leaning against the plexiglass wall in an attempt to see more clearly. He squinted at the phone the man was holding towards Toby.</p><p>From this angle, he could just see a photo on the screen...a beautiful sunset over a large field, with a rustic-looking building off on the far side. Hills and forests backed the building itself. A small barn sat behind the house.</p><p>Cappy's eyelights dilated until they filled his sockets. <em>There was a vineyard farmhouse nearby. Golden Valley.</em></p><p>The customer eventually left, taking that wonderful picture on his phone with him, but Cappy didn't need to see it again. Every detail was burned into his head. He sat down very quietly in his chair. Hands folded neatly in his lap and brow furrowed in concentration, he thought.</p><p>When Myra came back from attending to the other bitties, Cappy called her over.</p><p>“May I Volunteer With Dinner Prep Tonight?” he inquired, affecting an air of nonchalance. It wasn't unusual for some of the more enthusiastic bitties to help with preparing dinner for everyone...though usually it was the Blues or Papys who wanted to help.</p><p>“Uh, sure?” Myra cocked an eyebrow at Cappy. “Any special reason?”</p><p>“Well, If I End Up Staying At The Center For As Long A Time As I Think I Will, I Might as Well Get Used To The Idea Of Being A Shop Bitty,” Cappy replied, smiling. “Unless You Personally Know Any Rich Adopters? Nothing Fancy, Personal Jets Optional.” He added a cheeky wink and Myra laughed.</p><p>“hey princess!” one of the Edgies yelled from a few tanks over. “you wanna rich guy so bad, ditch the stripper boots and get a glass slipper! maybe a prince'll come kiss ya!”</p><p>Laughter erupted throughout the store. Cappy rolled his eyes, ignoring the antics of the other bitties.</p><p>Myra pointed a finger in warning at the Edgy, who stuck his tongue at her. She carefully reached down and lifted Cappy up onto her shoulder, before heading to the back of the store.</p><p>Behind the front rooms was a long hallway, with several small back rooms leading off of it. A mini-hospital, a play room with wide floor space for running around, bathing areas and a small kitchen were all contained in the back. Headed towards the kitchen, Cappy did his best to look helpful and interested in the instructions Myra was giving him for dividing up food portions onto smaller trays for each bitty.</p><p>But his thoughts were mainly on the last door at the end of the hall.</p><p>After half an hour of dutifully assisting with food prep, Cappy stayed behind to clean up while Myra took dinner out to the other bitties. He busied himself wiping a tiny rag around the edge of the sink. As soon as Myra vanished through the door to the front area, Cappy was on the floor and sprinting down the back hall.</p><p>He knew it would take approximately fifteen minutes to hand out all the food and break up any squabbles among the more difficult bitties. Hopefully that would be enough time.</p><p>At the very end of the hall, Cappy pushed open the slightly ajar door and peeked inside to check that the coast was clear. This was the employee break room, where the humans kept their own lunches in a small fridge and took their fifteen-minute breaks throughout the day. A worn couch sat in the middle of the room, facing a television on a stand. Coffee mugs lined the small counter in the corner, situated underneath a cork board with notices, forms and posters tacked up on it. A line of hooks on the wall held jackets and bags. It wasn't a very spacious room, but it was sufficient to get away from work and sit down for a few minutes.</p><p>It was also the only room in the building with a computer in it, which sat on an old desk on the far wall of the room, a squeaky black rolling chair parked in front of it.</p><p>Jumping from floor to chair to desk, Cappy hurried up to the computer. Luck was with him and the machine was turned on at the moment. He grabbed the giant mouse and navigated the onscreen cursor over to the internet browser.</p><p>Being a helpful, polite and harmless bitty in the past had got him access to every room in the building at some point. Being an observant bitty meant he could remember things just by seeing them done a few times. Right now, his tiny hands flew over the giant keyboard, typing in words and symbols, searching for information.</p><p>He glanced at the computer clock on the desktop bar. Ten minutes left. Leaning back and forth to type on such a large device was exhausting, but at least he was just barely big enough to manipulate the keys without having to move from his kneeling position.</p><p>Cappy finally found what he wanted, his eyelights darting across the text on the screen, memorizing the information he'd been searching for. He pulled a piece of paper and a small bitty-sized pencil from his pocket and begin furiously scribbling, making notes and a crude sketch. His eyes flicked over to the computer clock. Two minutes left.</p><p>Stuffing the paper and pencil back in his jacket, Cappy jumped down to the computer chair, then the floor. Dashing at top speed out of the lounge and back down the hall, he looked up to see Myra coming back in through the doorway, empty trays in her hand. With a burst of extra speed, he flew down the hallway and screeched to a halt right by the door to the kitchen, leaving two tiny trails of boot rubber skid marks in his wake. He stood up to lean against the door frame, as if waiting for Myra's return.</p><p>“Oh, sorry Cap, didn't meant to leave you hanging,” Myra said, spotting him by the door. “I was...are you okay?”</p><p>“Never Better,” Cappy answered, sweating profusely and breathing hard. “I, Er...It's a Bit More Work Than I'm Used To. Perhaps I'm Not Cut Out As A Shop Bitty After All. I Can See Why You Prefer Blues Or Papys For This Sort Of Thing.”</p><p>“They do have a limitless amount of energy,” Myra laughed. Cappy smiled back, shrugging in self-depreciation, before holding an elbow politely up to her in a gentlemanly fashion, as if he were big enough to escort Myra on his arm.</p><p>“Shall We Go?”</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Nighttime settled in, and the shop workers had folded down and locked the lids on the bitty holding tanks for the evening. The humans shuffled out the front door, giving last little goodbyes and reassurances to the bitties.</p><p>“Tomorrow will be a good day, I know it,” Toby was saying to a tearful Cherry, patting the little bitty carefully on the back before locking the tank's safety lid back up again. “We'll do some games in the play room together, okay?”</p><p>“Goodnight, Cap,” Myra said, passing by Cappy's tank. Dressed in a pair of red silk pajamas and a dressing robe, he waved to her.</p><p>“Have A Lovely Evening, My Dear,” he smiled.</p><p>The humans set the burglar alarm and locked the front doors behind them, dispersing in the parking lot to their respective cars. The sounds of engines started up, then disappeared into the distance.</p><p>Cappy went back into his small bedroom, changing out of his night clothes and back into his usual uniform. He sat on his tiny bed, waiting and listening.</p><p>One by one, the noises in the shop died down, as the other bitties settled in and fell asleep. Soon the only sounds were soft snoring and the occasional whimpering from the Mutts, who were often plagued with nightmares.</p><p>Cappy pulled his tall heeled boots off, folding them neatly and stashing them in a little fashionably-printed luggage bag that was in the corner of his bedroom. Seeing as his breed practically demanded finer things as a basic necessity, Cappy had been provided with quite a few little extra items during his time at the center, including his gray and black chevron-printed luggage, a few changes of clothes, his pajamas and robe, a tiny chess set, some toiletry items and a small stack of books. These items he packed up, leaving anything else behind.</p><p>Making a small tower of the sparse furniture in his tank, Cappy stepped nimbly up to the top of it in his soft, quiet socked feet, just under the latch that held the lid of the tank closed. It was only a moment's work to get his small hands under the lid, around the latch and into the right position to find the spring-loaded release button on the other side.</p><p>These pens were <em>so</em> poorly designed.</p><p>Lifting the lid silently, he propped it open and stepped down to retrieve his luggage. A spare shirt had been sacrificed to become strips of cloth that, when tied together, created a handy rope to lower his luggage quietly down the outside of the tank and onto the table upon which it sat. Cappy soon followed it, jumping down to land softly in his socks on the scuffed vinyl table top.</p><p>Over the next ten minutes, he managed to silently maneuver both himself and his luggage down to the floor, stealing across it like a shadow, right under the other tanks of sleeping bitties. Taking up a position by the front door, he hid himself neatly behind a display rack of bitty care brochures and waited.</p><p>Hours later, the staff arrived to open the center for the day. Myra unlocked the front doors and strolled in, greeting all the bitties in turn as she headed to the back to begin making breakfast for everyone. She paused at Cappy's tank, looking in for his usual morning greeting.</p><p>Behind the brochure rack, Cappy held his breath and watched her.</p><p>Myra frowned and glanced at the sleeping room at the back of the tank, then shrugged. No doubt she thought he was still irritated from the previous day's events and sulking in his bedroom. She continued on to the back of the store.</p><p>Cappy let his breath out in relief, picking up his luggage by its handle and inching behind the rack, closer to the door. He was kept waiting for only a few minutes, before a late employee rushed in to start their day. When the doors opened, he simply walked out.</p><p>Cappy paused for a moment outside the doors, sparing a glance back into the shop, where Myra had disappeared into the back rooms. Eyelights momentarily sad and distant, he heaved a small sigh, before turning his back on the adoption center, heading out into the parking lot. The rain had stopped during the night, leaving the grass shining with dew and small puddles across the ground. Having put his boots back on before departing, Cappy gingerly stepped around these tiny ponds of fresh rainwater, grimacing and shaking a foot whenever mud got on his boot heels. An hour's walk brought him at last to the bus stop that he knew was close to the store.</p><p>Concealing himself in the grass by the side of the bus stop shelter, he consulted the notes and hand-drawn map he had stowed in his pocket. According to the information he'd gotten online, in half an hour a bus would arrive that could take him within ten miles of the Golden Valley Winery. It would be a scramble to attach himself to the bus, and a short leap of faith to depart it once it got as close to his destination as it could, plus a very, very long walk after that, unless he could catch a passing ride in that direction.</p><p>But it would be <em>worth it</em> to finally have a home and a family that would truly appreciate him. A life at an idyllic country vineyard, on a rustic farm with a cellar just <em>filled</em> with vintage wines. A lovely little house with antique furniture, french hamlet-style architecture, quiet afternoons spent by a record player...maybe, if he was lucky, even an attached farm with a dairy and artisanal cheeses.</p><p>
  <em>And no children.</em>
</p><p>Cappy's eyelights briefly turned into little golden stars at the very thought of it.</p><p>Plus the humans at the vineyard would be getting the deal of a lifetime. A <em>free</em> Cappy bitty! Who on earth would turn that down? He was an expensive type, knowledgeable and more than happy to help out around the house. It was a perfect fit, and the humans at his new home would be quick to realize it.</p><p>Cappy pictured the winery again in his mind's eye...charmingly pastoral against the setting sun, sitting at the edge of a field, backed by rolling hills and lush forest. Soon, very soon, perhaps even as early as that evening, he would be home.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>The box was leaking again.</p><p>Midway through the night's rain storm, Boss had found that the flimsy flaps of the box top could not hold out the rain any more, and had collapsed inwards. He had struggled to turn the large box on its side, so that the sturdier wall of the box was now the roof. That seemed to be a big improvement, at least in the issue of dryness. But the top flaps were now one of the side walls, and they were soaked and crumbling, leaving a gaping opening in the side of the box that faced outwards toward the dark woods lining the road.</p><p>As long as he couldn't see outside of the box, Boss had felt a bit more safe. But now he was exposed on one side, with the shadows of the forest looming close by. He had tucked the sagging flaps in as far as they would go to try and close the gap, then curled up again on the bottom of the box.</p><p>It was wet and it was cold and he was tired. He'd had very little sleep. But he didn't want to leave the box. It was the only thing he had left of home. He felt that if he walked away from it, everything really <em>would</em> be over.</p><p>During the night, all sorts of thoughts had been running through his head. What he could have done differently, what he'd done to deserve this, why he should have listened and behaved better. Most prominently was a desperate thought that maybe, if he sat very still and quiet, <em>they would come back</em>. Maybe they'd change their minds. If he left the box now, how would his family find him?</p><p>He'd stayed inside the meager comfort of his shelter, not knowing what else to do. He was not a timid creature by any stretch of imagination. But he was at a loss, and his hope was failing. Even if he left the box, where would he go? Into the woods? It was just as wet out there. Better to stay inside.</p><p>It was early morning when he woke up again. The new roof was now leaking too, dropping water right down next to him in a puddle on the floor of the box. Boss looked up to see that the rain had eaten a giant hole into the top. He sighed and struggled to his feet, feeling tired and sore. With some effort, he turned the box again, rotating it until a fresh, undamaged side was now the roof. Then he laid back down and closed his eyes.</p><p>He was hungry. He hadn't eaten anything since the morning before. He was tired and wanted more sleep. He was cold and he wished he had a blanket. He was miserable and hoped his family would come get him soon. He was deluding himself and he knew it. They weren't coming back.</p><p>The sagging cardboard box sat on the side of the road near the edge of the woods. When the humans came in their trucks to clear the nearby branch away that was blocking the road, no one noticed the box, or the bitty sleeping fitfully inside of it. They removed the branch, swept up the debris, then drove away in their truck, leaving the box still sitting just a few feet from the quiet back road.</p><p>Nobody was coming back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think Myra will miss him.</p><p>As always, for more Cappy drawings and comics about these two bitties, see my tumblr, @Sons-of-Sirens!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Man Of The Wilds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Roads are walked and paths are crossed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>At what point is a box no longer a box?</p><p>Boss had to admit that right now, that point was rapidly approaching. He'd spent a full day inside the cardboard box, watching it slowly disintegrate around him. He'd tried shoring it up, even venturing out to find some little sticks on the ground to hold up the failing walls. But the night of rain and the resulting wet, humid day afterward were taking their toll on the thick cardboard.</p><p>He didn't want the box to come apart. It felt like safety to him, to be inside this box that was the last thing he had of his family. He was not a coward, but he didn't know what was out there in the wilderness. He'd never been anywhere but inside a house or adoption center before.</p><p>If the box disappeared, there was no more hope. If there was no box, there was no more family to come get him. It would be over and he would have to figure out what to do next. And he had no idea what to do next. He knew he was being irrational, but it was hard to be anything else. He was cold and hungry and they <em>left him all alone</em>. </p><p>Boss stared at his boots, the nice black heeled boots they had bought for him. He stared at the shining gold belt they had bought for him too, and the edge of the red scarf around his neck. All the nice things they had tried to give him, only to find out he was the worst bitty. That he wasn't good enough. At least he still had these things, even if he didn't deserve them.</p><p>And so he stayed, inside a box that could barely be called a box anymore. It was more like a sagging tent made of wet paper, held up inside with sticks. Boss huddled in the middle, staring miserably out into the greenery that surrounded his slowly-shrinking little island. The day wore on, with no change in sight.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>A strange sound had Boss jerking awake out of a slight doze inside his sagging tent. What time was it? How long had he been asleep? His insides ached with hunger.</p><p>Something was outside the box.</p><p>He could hear a strange dragging sound of some kind. Was it an animal? A predator? Boss tensed up, scuttling to the back of the failing box so he wasn't so exposed. He cursed himself for falling asleep. The box had sagged even more in the humidity, until the opening at the front was so low that he could only see a few inches of the ground through it. All he could make out were some blades of grass.</p><p>The noise outside stopped suddenly, as if becoming aware of his movements. Then it started up again, more cautiously. It was approaching the box. Boss hunched down in a crouch, ready to spring at whatever chose to attack him.</p><p>The noise circled around the side of the box, towards the sagging opening. A pair of shiny red boots came into view through the wet grass. A face soon followed it, bending down to peer into the darkness of the box.</p><p>“Ah, Hello There.” The face looked mildly surprised. “I Hope I Haven't Disturbed You.”</p><p>Boss' mouth opened in shock, then snapped shut. Caught in such a compromising and pathetic situation, he crawled quickly out of the wet box and pulled himself up to his full height, squaring his shoulders and glaring down at this strange bitty, arms folded angrily in an attempt to look intimidating.</p><p>And <em>strange</em> was the word for this creature. The bitty looked like a very tall, slim Sansy or Edgy, though still fairly short, his head only coming up to the middle of Boss' chest. He had the rounded face of a Sansy, and one eye socket scratched over with scars, giving him more of a rough, Edgy look. But he lacked the signature laziness of either common bitty type, instead maintaining perfect posture, one gloved hand held behind his back in a half-military stance. He was immaculately dressed in red and black, though his uniform seemed to have taken a dusting in his travels. He had gleaming red heeled boots that ended mid-thigh, and a bright red scarf so long that, knotted as it was at the back of his neck, its tails hung down like a cape.</p><p>Most perplexingly, he was carrying a little rolling set of luggage.</p><p>“AND WHO ARE YOU?” Boss demanded roughly, unable to think of anything else to say. The strange bitty smiled pleasantly.</p><p>“You May Call Me Cappy I Suppose, Since I've Never Been Given A Name,” he stated, speaking as if this were a mere social meeting at the club, not a chance encounter by a soaking wet box in the woods.</p><p>“Have You A Name?” Cappy asked in turn. Boss frowned, glancing away quickly.</p><p>
  <em>He did. At least, right up until they left him...</em>
</p><p>“Boss,” he said at last, more quietly.</p><p>“Ah. So No, Then. Well, No Matter.” The little Cappy detoured around Boss, one hand holding the tails of his scarf above the wet dew while he picked his way delicately through the grass and back toward the road, pulling his rolling luggage along behind him. “If You'll Pardon Me, I Still have Quite A Bit of Walking To Do Today. Lovely Making Your Acquaintance, Boss.”</p><p>Boss turned to watch as the Cappy strolled sedately away down the side of the paved road, tiny luggage wheels rattling over the uneven pavement. His eyes darted down to the collapsed pile of wet cardboard at his feet, then back toward the departing Cappy. He stood with hands clenching and unclenching, hesitating as conflicting emotions fought within him. With a final last glance at the box, he took off running.</p><p>“WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” he yelled at Cappy, who stopped and turned to watch Boss jog up behind him.</p><p>“Home,” Cappy answered. “Is That A Problem?”</p><p>“IT...I WAS...” Boss stammered for a moment, before blurting out, “YES OF COURSE IT IS, YOU FOOL! THESE WOODS ARE DANGEROUS!”</p><p>Cappy gazed at Boss, then turned his attention to the line of trees that edged the road. A big yellow butterfly flapped its way lazily through the bushes, landing on a nearby rock.</p><p>“Well, I Suppose One Must Take One's Chances In This...Depraved Wilderness,” Cappy answered slowly, watching the butterfly meander to the top of its rock and spread its wings out to enjoy the warm sunlight. “I'm Still About Nine Hours From Home, By My Best Estimate. Do You Know The Golden Valley Winery, By Chance?”</p><p>Boss crossed his arms and gave Cappy a haughty glare.</p><p>“AS IF I KNOW OR CARE WHERE HUMANS CONGREGATE.”</p><p>“Ah, A Man Of Independence,” Cappy said, looking Boss up and down. His eyelights flicked briefly back to the pile of cardboard that was once a box. “Living Off The Land, As They Say.”</p><p>Boss drew himself up and smirked with pride. He missed the look of pity that crossed Cappy's face as the smaller bitty turned away.</p><p>Cappy frowned at the treeline, deep in thought for a moment. It wasn't exactly ideal...but certainly his new family would understand? Bosses were hard workers, after all. No doubt there would be <em>something</em> for him to do around a busy vineyard.</p><p>Plus, he just couldn't leave an abandoned bitty here on the road. For all his vanity and self-absorbed nature, Cappy liked to think he was still a kind creature at heart. He then briefly wondered if he was thinking that about himself or about Boss, before mentally shrugging. Sighing, he turned back to the larger bitty, who was glaring at him.</p><p>“I Don't Suppose I Could Persuade A Man With Your Wilderness Training To Escort Me Home?” he asked. “As You Can See, I'm Only A Soft Indoors Bitty, Unused To The Perils Of Nature.”</p><p>He paused, as the surprised Boss stared at him wide-eyed, looking him over curiously.</p><p>“Of Course You Probably Wish To Be Left Alone To The Freedom Of The Outdoors," Cappy continued, gesturing to the trees in a roundabout way, "But Just In Case You Don't Find Humans Totally Repellent, I Think I Could Persuade My Family To Adopt You." He turned to aim a bored look at the road, but out of the corner of his sockets, he watched Boss' reaction closely.</p><p>Boss looked as though he were struggling with some decision. A lot of emotions were flitting across his face...surprise, suspicion, worry, hope. After a while, hope seemed to be the cautious winner.</p><p>“V-VERY WELL,” he huffed, making a great effort to look inconvenienced by Cappy's request, “I SUPPOSE AN INEXPERIENCED BITTY LIKE YOU WOULDN'T LAST ANOTHER HOUR OUT HERE IN THE WILDS. IT WOULD SEEM TO BE MY BURDEN TO HAVE TO GUARD WEAKER CREATURES FROM DANGER.”</p><p>He made an irritated gesture up the road with one arm.</p><p>“LEAD ON AND BE QUICK ABOUT IT! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY.”</p><p>Tempting as it was to ask Boss what he would possibly be busy doing with the rest of his day in lieu of this, Cappy instead smiled and gave a polite half-bow of thanks, turning to once more walk up the road, suitcase rolling along on the asphalt. Behind him, the heavy stomps of Boss' boots matched the soft clicks of his own.</p><p>“Tell Me, Boss,” Cappy spoke over his shoulder, sparing a glance backward. “What Do You Know About Wine?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>How fortuitous! I think Cappies are one of the rare bitties best suited to deal with Bosses. They stay calm and never feel the need to argue, and they're natural charmers, so they know just what to say to placate bad tempers. Plus they don't pun. :)</p><p>As always, for more Cappy drawings and comics about these two bitties, see my tumblr, @Sons-of-Sirens!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. An Unfortunate Oversight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Look, mistakes were made.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The humidity left by the night's rain was slowly easing as the day warmed up. The rough road, shimmering with puddles of rainwater, stretched on through the wooded countryside, silent save for two small figures making their way along its edge.</p><p>“HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?” Boss yelled. Cappy, walking slightly ahead of him, winced at the volume and tried not to roll his eyes.</p><p>“I Believe I Mentioned That We Are Still Several Hours Away From Home,” he answered politely, giving a little tug at his rolling luggage and picking up his pace to put a more hearing-friendly distance between himself and the loudly-complaining bitty.</p><p>“HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?” Boss swatted at an investigating fly that had flown too close to his head, scowling up the road in front of him.</p><p>“Because I Researched It Beforehand And Drew A Map. Don't Worry, I'll Take Care Of The Directions, So Long As You Keep An Eye On Our Safety.”</p><p>Boss grunted in annoyance, but went silent. Before too long, they passed by a fallen log on the side of the road. Cappy slowed to a stop, scanning it.</p><p>“This Looks Like A Good Place To Rest.” He wheeled his bag over across the grass and sat down on the small log, with Boss stomping up behind him.</p><p>“YOU WANT TO REST ALREADY? PATHETIC!” he snorted. “WE'VE ONLY WALKED TWO HOURS AT MOST!”</p><p>“Well, Not All Of Us Possess Your Unique Strength,” Cappy replied mildly, dusting off his boots and taking a moment to straighten his uniform jacket. Boss started to say something, then snapped his jaw shut. Looking only slightly appeased, he sat down heavily on the log next to the smaller bitty.</p><p>They sat looking at the wide road stretching out ahead of them. All around, the sounds of late spring on the cusp of summer were in full swing. Crickets buzzed in the hedges and birds sang distantly in the woods.</p><p>Boss was frowning at nothing in particular, scanning this way and that around them in a very serious commitment to his adopted role as guard.</p><p>“WHY ARE YOU EVEN THIS FAR AWAY FROM HOME?” he suddenly said, causing a daydreaming Cappy to jump in surprise. Cappy adjusted his position on the log and turned to face Boss, craning his neck back to look the much taller bitty in the eye.</p><p>“I'm Afraid A Simple Mistake Of Fate Has Placed Me Far From The Home I Should Be In Right Now,” he replied with a smile. “But Thanks To My Own Initiative, That Will Soon Be Fixed. And I'm Sure When We Arrive, You Will Be Welcomed As Well.”</p><p>This didn't sound like a very informative answer, but Boss seemed to accept it, focusing his attentions more on the latter half.</p><p>“WHAT...KIND OF PEOPLE ARE YOUR FAMILY?” he asked after a moment's thought. Cappy shrugged.</p><p>“Hardworking, Industrious Folk, Capable Of Running A Busy Vineyard,” he answered, turning back to look at the road.</p><p>“AND YOU THINK THEY HAVE SOME REASON TO TAKE ME IN?”</p><p>“Naturally. You're A Boss, Which Means You're Strong, Dedicated, Fearless And A Loyal Worker. How Could They Not Have A Use For Such A Valuable Bitty As Yourself?”</p><p>Cappy didn't need to turn his gaze away from the road in front of him. He could <em>feel</em> Boss fluffing up with pride at this shameless flattery, sitting up a bit straighter and preening. Cappy suppressed a small smile. Though he may have laid on a bit thick, it was nevertheless a true assessment of typical Boss types. Plus, it would do the poor fellow good to hear something nice about himself.</p><p>They spent another few minutes resting on the log, before continuing on down the road.</p><p>The sun shone between branches from a higher and higher vantage point as the day wore on. Cappy walked down this green-lined back road in wonder, marveling at the size of the trees, the complexity of all the little leaves making up the dappled canopy, the number of flying creatures buzzing, flapping or zipping in and out of the woods on either side of him. There were so many new smells and sounds to encounter outside.</p><p>They mostly traveled in silence, with Boss a few steps behind Cappy, eyes darting around them for signs of danger. But the only danger Cappy could see was the imminent threat to his feet. Although extremely fashionable, the high heels on his boots were uncomfortable to walk in for long periods. Even without skin to blister, they were starting to take their toll. He'd briefly entertained the thought of removing them and walking in bare feet to give his toes a break, but decided it would be undignified.</p><p>An hour later, he was fairly certain dignity was no longer as important to him as it was that morning. His feet were getting very sore and his normally perfect posture was suffering because of it. How was Boss holding up through all this walking with no complaints? He'd been a nonstop stream of criticism when they'd first joined up.</p><p>Cappy glanced back to see Boss watching the nearby treeline with keen eyes. He must be very preoccupied with the whole “tough protective escort” role, despite the idyllic little country lane they were strolling down. Cappy wished someone would protect his feet from aching, or offer to carry him.</p><p>He stumbled as his luggage suddenly jerked him backwards, one hand still gripping the pull-out handle. Not built for all this rough travel over paved human roads, the luggage had lost one of its little wheels and was now dragging. Cappy immediately stopped to turn and assess the damage.</p><p>“WHAT NOW?” Boss demanded. “YOU CAN'T BE TIRED AGAIN!”</p><p>Cappy bit back his desire to say that in fact, he <em>was</em> tired, as they'd been walking forever. But instead he pointed to the side of his luggage distractedly, while looking about in the grass next to it.</p><p>“I'm Afraid My Bag Has Lost One Of Its Wheels...Aha!” He found the little gold-colored wheel in the grass, wiped it off and carefully packed it into a side zipped pocket on the luggage. Boss snorted, folding his arms and sneering derisively at this display.</p><p>“IF IT'S BROKEN, THROW IT AWAY!”</p><p>“Certainly Not,” Cappy said, retracting the long collapsible handle of the luggage back into itself and turning the bag on its side. “This Is A Very Expensive Item. I'm Sure It Can Be Repaired.”</p><p>“IT'S ONLY GOING TO SLOW US DOWN!”</p><p>“I Wouldn't Ask You To Throw Away Your Limited-Edition Fell Belt With The Lightning Bolt Buckle, Now Would I?” Cappy retorted. “If You Have Nice Things, You Should Take Care Of Them.”</p><p>Boss scowled downwards at the belt around his waist, puzzled for a moment.</p><p>“HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW MY BELT IS WORTH ANYTHING?” he demanded. Cappy shrugged, picking his luggage up by the side strap.</p><p>“I Know What Everything Is Worth. See? It Has A Side Handle For Carrying. Not A Problem.”</p><p>Cappy continued walking, carrying the bag at his side. Boss huffed at the display but jogged to catch up, walking along behind the smaller bitty while muttering to himself under his breath.</p><p>“IS MY BELT REALLY WORTH THAT MUCH?” he asked after a while in a slightly louder voice. Cappy threw a look over his shoulder.</p><p>“I KNOW THAT GOLD LIGHTNING BOLT DESIGN WAS A LIMITED RUN, SO I'D SAY IT WAS QUITE EXPENSIVE AT FULL RETAIL.”</p><p>He expected this news to perk Boss up...but for some odd reason, it seemed to make the larger bitty even more unhappy. Boss aimed a glare down at the ground and refused to look up again as he walked. A little confused, Cappy decided not to push the matter.</p><p>On and on they walked down the road in relative silence, while the sun moved across the sky overhead. The heat of midday came and went, the air cooling down as the sunlight became weaker and weaker, lowering down through the tree branches until it cast very deep, long shadows across the road.</p><p>Cappy's arm was getting very tired from carrying his bag. He tried switching arms every so often, but that only helped a bit. His feet were now extremely sore and he was wishing for another rest along the road. But they were so close to their destination that it seemed foolish to delay now. Instead, they pressed on, as the sun approached the horizon.</p><p>“HOW ON EARTH MUCH <em>LONGER</em> WILL THIS TAKE?” Boss finally snapped, speeding up to walk side by side with Cappy. He glared down at the smaller bitty, crossing his arms in front of him. Cappy stared ahead at the road as he walked, trying not to wince at the pain in his feet.</p><p>“It Should Be Right Around The Corner By Now,” he said, hitching up the bag in his arms once more. “We Must Be Less Than A Mile Away At This Point.”</p><p>“WAIT...WHAT?” Boss threw an arm out to halt Cappy, who almost ran right into it. He backed up to look Boss in the face. The bigger bitty was staring holes into him, hands on his hips.</p><p>“YOU SAID WHEN WE MET THAT WE WERE ONLY NINE HOURS AWAY FROM OUR DESTINATION!” Boss yelled, and Cappy tried not to flinch this time at the sonic assault.</p><p>“Correct.”</p><p>“WELL WE'VE BEEN WALKING FOR AT LEAST SEVEN HOURS NOW! HOW ARE WE POSSIBLY GOING TO MAKE IT ANOTHER<em> MILE </em>BEFORE SUNSET?!”</p><p>“I...Don't Understand The Question?” Cappy answered with a confused look. Boss stamped a boot in frustration.</p><p>“HOW CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?! JUST HOW FAR DO YOU THINK WE'VE WALKED TODAY?”</p><p>“Well,” Cappy said slowly, holding his bag to his chest, eyes wandering back down the road in the direction they came, “We Must Have Gone About Eight Miles By Now, More Or Less.”</p><p>Boss stared at him, arms dropping to his sides.</p><p>“HOW...” he began, before closing his mouth. He looked down the road, then back at Cappy, visibly trying to work something out in his head.</p><p>“HOW FAR DO YOU THINK A MILE <em>IS?</em>”</p><p>“I Measured It Out On My Way Here This Morning,” Cappy replied smoothly. “It Took Me Approximately An Hour To Reach The Bus Stop, Which Was One Mile Away.”</p><p>For once, Boss seemed to be at a loss for words. He stared in shock at Cappy, who shuffled from foot to foot, trying to ease the pain in his aching heels.</p><p>“The Workers Who Used That Bus Stop Always Complained That It Was, Quote, 'Like A Mile Away' From The Store When They Had to Walk From It In The Winter,” Cappy continued.</p><p>As if a switch had been flipped, Boss suddenly exploded.</p><p>“THAT'S A <em>HUMAN FIGURE OF SPEECH!</em>” He shrieked at the little bitty in front of him, causing Cappy to jump back and almost drop his bag. “YOU CAN'T WALK A MILE IN A HOUR, NO BITTY CAN! A MILE IS FIVE THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY <em>HUMAN</em> FEET LONG!”</p><p>“It...I...” Cappy stuttered, backing away as Boss loomed over him in a rage. “Are You Certain?”</p><p>Boss dragged a hand down his face in frustration, suppressing a scream. He turned away from Cappy and took a step forward, watching his own feet carefully as he did.</p><p>“ONE STRIDE...CALL IT ABOUT TWO INCHES...” he muttered under his breath.</p><p>“I Really Think You're Overreacting,” Cappy tried again, placing the luggage on the ground and clasping his hands behind his back. “At Any Rate, Even If My Estimates Were A Bit Off-”</p><p>“...WHICH IS TWENTY FEET PER MINUTE...” Boss continued muttering to himself.</p><p>“...And Honestly, Everyone Makes Mistakes, But The Important Thing Is-”</p><p>“...A LITTLE UNDER A QUARTER OF A MILE PER HOUR...” Boss was now pacing around on the side of the road in circles, counting on his fingers.</p><p>“Are You Listening To Me?” Cappy asked in a louder voice. “You Know It's Very Rude To Ignore Someone.”</p><p>“A MILE AND A HALF...” Boss stared off down the road, as it ran endlessly on through the woods. “WE'VE ONLY GONE A MILE AND A HALF.”</p><p>“Pardon?” Cappy stepped forward to make out Boss' rambling, but immediately jumped back as Boss wheeled around on him, eyelights glowing bright red with fury.</p><p>“IT'S NOT GOING TO TAKE US ANOTHER HOUR TO GET THERE,” he bellowed, hands balled up into fists and shaking with anger. “IT'S GOING TO TAKE US <em>FOUR DAYS!</em>”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Congrats Cappy, ya hecked it all up.</p><p>Check out my tumblr, @Sons-of-Sirens, where we broke down the actual math involved in estimating how fast a bitty can walk. That's right...we did MATH for this story. :O</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sheltered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The boys find shelter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a large misshapen rock, sitting a few yards away from the edge of the road just along the treeline and flanked by a few scraggly bushes. Little sticks, twigs and small stones flew out from underneath the leaning overhang of the rock on the woodland side, with much grumbling and cursing coming from behind it.</p><p>“I Did Apologize,” Cappy said for the fifth time, standing at the side of the stone while Boss furiously cleaned out a small space on the ground beneath its jutting overhang. The rock leaned just far enough to provide a few inches of cover should rain come on, though no real protection of any other kind. But in the rapidly failing light of evening, it was the best Boss could find on short notice. He continued to evict small rocks, twigs and a few beetles from under the overhang, ignoring Cappy completely.</p><p>Cappy shifted from one foot to another, unwilling to sit down on the bare ground and dirty his pants, but desperately wanting to take the weight off his aching feet. He settled for propping his luggage against the side of the large rock and gingerly perching on top of it, hands on his knees.</p><p>“I'm Man Enough To Admit When I've Made a Mistake,” he tried again, addressing Boss' back as the bigger bitty swept the ground under the rock clean with a handful of twigs for a makeshift broom. “This Was My Fault, And I Am Truly Sorry. I Should Have Been...A Bit More Cautious In My Interpretation Of The Information I Gathered.”</p><p>“YOU SHOULD HAVE <em>NOT</em> BEEN A BLATHERING IDIOT!” Boss relented in his stonewalling of Cappy, if only to hurl insults without turning around to face him. “WHAT KIND OF PERSON GETS THIS FAR FROM HOME WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING HOW TO READ A <em>MAP?</em> OR FOLLOW DIRECTIONS?”</p><p>Cap said nothing, not wanting to further enrage the already raging bitty in front of him. Boss finally stopped his work and turned to face Cappy, fists on his hips and scowling. Cappy cleared his non-existent throat with a cough, attempting to appease the larger bitty without sacrificing his own dignity.</p><p>“Yes, Well, Map-Reading Isn't Really A Common Bitty Skill, Is It?”</p><p>“<em>I </em>CAN READ MAPS JUST FINE!” Boss shouted, jabbing a thumb towards his own chest.</p><p>“Is That So? I Suppose Because Of Your Vast Wilderness Experience?” Cappy didn't want to start up an explosive argument again, but was feeling just a little irritated that his apology apparently wasn't enough to end the issue.</p><p>“NEVER YOU MIND WHERE I LEARNED IT, I JUST <em>CAN!</em>” Boss kicked a stray pebble into the bushes. “HAS A WEAK LITTLE PAMPERED WHELP LIKE YOU EVER EVEN <em>BEEN</em> OUTSIDE BEFORE?”</p><p>Cappy started to indignantly protest the word “whelp,” before stopping to actually ponder the question and how best to answer it.</p><p>...had he?</p><p>*      *       *</p><p>“<em>And It Was Then That I Realized The Article Was Written By Someone Who had Never Even BEEN To Italy,” Cappy was saying, and Myra laughed. “Where Do They Get These Guest Writers?”</em></p><p>“<em>Who knows?” she smiled to the bitty riding on her shoulder. “I'll get you another issue, if you-oh, shoot!”</em></p><p>
  <em>The human snapped her fingers in sudden realization. “I left my lunch bag in the car,” she sighed. “I need to go get it before my sandwich spoils. Are you okay with me, or do you want me to drop you off at your tank?”</em>
</p><p>“<em>If You're Amenable, I'll Ride With You,” Cappy answered, taking a tighter grip on Myra's shirt collar. She walked to the front of the store and out the automatic doors. Cappy turned just in time to see the envious glances of the other bitties in their tanks, jealous he was getting to go outside without even being adopted first. Sitting up taller to preen a bit at his privilege, he braced himself against the sudden flood of sunlight and unfamiliar smells out in the parking lot.</em></p><p>
  <em>The wind was moving across the lot, picking up debris and leaves as it flicked them here and there. There was a loud rustle of the nearby tree leaves being blown, like strange water. A truck drove by on the nearby road, rumbling and mechanically growling along. He saw the sun glinting sharply off several parked cars, and smelt the heat of the day warming the asphalt under Myra's feet. They approached a little blue compact car and Myra unlocked it with the fob on her keychain. Opening the door, she leaned carefully down so as not to dislodge Cappy from her shoulder, grabbing a small sack lunch from the passenger seat.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Slamming the car closed, she turned and made her way back to the front doors of the adoption center. Cappy leaned back slightly to take in the size of the building, of which he had only ever seen the interior. The sun was in his eyes, but he could still make out the white cement building face. There was a large sign over the door, and a picture...no, an illustration...of a happy smiling bitty. A few dull brown birds sat on the edge of the roof, clustered together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The automatic doors opened and a rush of artificially cooled air hit him again, as the familiar woodchips smell of the center washed once more over Cappy. Entering back under the fluorescent lighting, he twisted around to give a last look at the parking lot, soaking up the sight of the sunlight on green and strange things, before the doors closed once more.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>*      *      *</em>
</p><p>“Of Course I've Been Outside,” Cappy asserted. Boss barked out a short laugh.</p><p>“I DOUBT IT. IF YOU WERE PLANNING A TRIP, WHY DID YOU NOT PACK ANY FOOD?”</p><p>“As I Said Before, Everything I Read Led Me to...Erroneously...Believe That I Would be Home By Sunset.”</p><p>“I DOUBT YOU <em>CAN</em> EVEN READ,” Boss mocked him. “NO ONE THIS SMART CAN BE THIS STUPID.”</p><p>“I Read Plenty!” Cappy snapped back, finally losing his temper. “On Quite A Number Of Difficult Subjects, As A Matter Of Fact! I've Read Practically Every Back Issue of Many Periodicals Myra Brought Me During Her Shift. <em>Architectural Digest, Antique Hunter Monthly, Home And Estates, Vintage Style...”</em></p><p>“YOU READ FANCY RICH-PEOPLE FASHION BOOKS AND DECORATING MAGAZINES?” Boss shouted at him. “NO WONDER YOU'RE SO SHELTERED! YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE R-<em>”</em></p><p>Boss suddenly cut himself off, blinking rapidly for a moment.</p><p>
  <em>Sheltered...</em>
</p><p>“YOU...” he started, pointing at Cappy, who frowned and crossed one leg over the other primly.</p><p>“Me What? Don't Point, It's Bad Manners.”</p><p>“YOU SAID...BOOKS BROUGHT TO YOU ON <em>HER SHIFT...</em>” Boss was now walking slowly over to where Cappy was seated. Cappy scrunched up against the wall of the stone behind him, as Boss crowded into his personal space. Boss was gaping at him in silent anger and shock, seemingly unable to find the right words. But he landed on them soon enough.</p><p>“YOU'RE FROM AN ADOPTION CENTER!” he shrieked in a blind fury. “YOU AREN'T OUT HERE LOOKING FOR YOUR FAMILY! YOU'RE A RUNAWAY!”</p><p>“I Am Certainly No Runaway,” Cappy retorted, crossing his arms in a huff that resembled more of a pout. “I Walked All This Way To Meet Up With My Family.”</p><p>“AT THIS GOLDEN VALLEY WINERY? YOU'VE BEEN THERE?”</p><p>Cappy squirmed, but rallied his pride, casting an aloof look at the enraged bitty looming over him.</p><p>“Not Yet, Of Course,” he said. “But It's The Perfect Fit For Someone Of My Status And Expertise. No Doubt When I Arrive There, The Owners Will Be More Than Happy To Welcome Me In.”</p><p>Boss said nothing, actually taking a step back to look Cappy over, as if he were some baffling piece of post-modern art that defied any interpretation.</p><p>For a few minutes, he just stared open-mouthed, while Cappy pretended to busy himself with fussing over the dirt on his deep crimson gloves, adjusting the seams along his fingers. He idly wondered if taking his boots off now, in the middle of the conversation, would be impolite. His feet were killing him.</p><p>Boss finally seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and grabbed the side of his skull with both hands, scratching at his head with his fingers in an agony of frustration.</p><p>“HAS IT EVEN OCCURED TO YOU THAT THE HUMANS AT THE WINERY MAY NOT <em>WANT</em> YOU?” he finally yelled. Cappy looked up from his busy work in surprise.</p><p>“Why Would they Not?” he asked. “I'm A <em>Cappy</em>, the Most Valuable And Expensive Bitty Type At The Center. Do You Have Any Idea What Adoption Fees Are Like? Who Wouldn't Be Glad to Acquire a Cappy For Free?”</p><p>“HUMANS WHO DON'T LIKE BITTIES AT ALL, FOR STARTERS!” Boss' anger had burst forth again and he vented his temper on a lot of little stones at his feet, savagely kicking them to and fro. “YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER MORON! NOT EVERY HUMAN WANTS TO LIVE WITH A BITTY!”</p><p>Cappy stared at him as Boss continued his little dance of rage.</p><p>“I Find That Very Hard To Believe,” he said finally. “Literally Every Human I've Ever Met Loves Bitties.”</p><p>“EVERY HUMAN YOU'VE EVER MET WAS AT<em> A BITTY CENTER!</em>” Boss was yelling so hard his face was turning a reddish-purple with effort. “PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH BITTIES, PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER WITH BITTIES, PEOPLE WHO COME <em>SPECIFICALLY</em> TO ADOPT BITTIES! HAVE YOU EVER TALKED TO ANY HUMANS <em>OUTSIDE</em> OF THE CENTER? MANY FIND BITTIES TO BE VERMIN!”</p><p>He paused in his tirade, leaning against the large rock for a moment as he caught his breath.</p><p>“YOU KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF THE REAL WORLD,” he finished, closing his eyes and rubbing two fingers on either side of the bridge of his nose.</p><p>“As If You're Any Better,” Cappy muttered, turning away to stare into the woods. It was getting darker by the moment, the sun having set a while ago. The lengthening shadows had now blended into an all-encompassing blackness that swallowed up the trees.</p><p>“AT LEAST I READ THE NEWSPAPER EVERY DAY!”</p><p>“What, Out In The Woods?” Cappy twisted around in his seat and snapped back furiously, before realizing his mistake. Boss' enraged expression fell into one of pain and he looked away, folding his arms and hunching slightly in on himself.</p><p>“I'm...I Do Apologize,” Cappy said hesitantly. “That Was Uncalled For.”</p><p>He sighed, then gave up all pretense of good manners, reaching down to unzip his long boots and free his aching feet. With a groan of relief, Cappy dropped the tall boots onto the ground, flexing and rotating his tired ankles.</p><p>“Look.” He stood up in his dress socks to face Boss, who steadfastly refused to meet his eyes, staring off into the bushes. “It Has Been A Trying Day For Us Both. And I'm Afraid There's No Food To Be Had For Dinner. Why Not Get Some Sleep And Confront These Problems In The Morning, When We're Not Exhausted?”</p><p>“I'M NOT EXHAUSTED,” Boss said stubbornly, standing up tall. Cappy sighed again.</p><p>“Well I <em>Am</em>, And A Little Rest Would Do Us Both Good.”</p><p>Boss scoffed, even as his shoulders dropped slightly. Finally, he gave an irritated gesture with both arms and stomped over to the bushes at the edge of the darkened forest. Rifling around in the grass, he emerged with an armful of fresh leaves, carrying them under the low overhang of the rock to the bare ground he had cleared off earlier. He laid them down, arranging and padding the ground with the leaves for a sort of makeshift mattress. Then he flopped down on the leaves, back towards Cappy.</p><p>Cappy shook his head, picking up his boots and grabbing his luggage. Tucking both under the rock overhang for safety, he laid down next to Boss, back towards him. In any situation where bitties were not in the company of humans, it was instinct to curl up with each other for sleep, even if they didn't necessarily like each other. Cappy shuffled around to get his back against Boss' for warmth. Boss did not move.</p><p>“YOU SHOULD TURN BACK IN THE MORNING,” came his gravelly voice, just as Cappy was arranging a folded leaf under his head for a pillow.</p><p>“Nonsense. I Intend To See This Journey Through. We Can Still Make It To Golden Valley. It Will Simply Take a Bit Longer, That's All.”</p><p>He heard and felt Boss snort with derision, back jerking in a mirthless kind of laugh.</p><p>“AN IMPOSSIBLE FEAT.”</p><p>“With My Wits And Your Prodigious Strength, What's To Stand In Our Way?” Cappy smiled into the darkness. He felt Boss shift a little against him, but there was no response from the bigger bitty. Cappy folded his hands under his head, trying to clear his thoughts so sleep would come faster.</p><p>In a little while, both bitties fell asleep, tucked under the big rock by the side of the back country road. Around them, the quiet sounds of nighttime continued on in the forest.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Boss: not as dumb as Cappy thinks.<br/>Cappy: not as smart as Cappy thinks.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Baggage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A good night's sleep becomes a long morning.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Cappy woke up first, to the sound of birds chirping loudly overhead.</p><p>For a moment he wasn't sure where he was, staring at the green leaf bed in front of his face with a dazed look. But in short order, the events of the previous day came flooding back.</p><p><em>Lovely.</em> He was still out in the woods.</p><p>Cappy scrunched his eye sockets tight at the morning sunlight hitting his face. The leaves he'd slept on were no substitute for his modest little bed back at the adoption center, hardly cushioning him from the rocky ground at all. His insides were empty from an entire previous day without food, and growling at the prospect of no breakfast today either. He imagined that right now, the center workers were handing around little breakfast trays to the bitties. Myra always made sure he got the raspberry jam he liked for his toast.</p><p><em>Dear Myra, what a treasure she was.</em> He was going to miss her. He hoped the note he left behind in his tank would ease her mind so she wouldn't worry about him. Right now, he was actually thinking fondly of the mediocre accommodations he had taken for granted. His bed, though narrow and hardly supplied with what he might term 'quality' linens, had at least been soft and warm.</p><p>Not like sleeping outside on the ground and waking up covered in chilly morning dew.</p><p>Cappy made to get to his knees to shake himself off, but quickly found that standing was not an option, nor even sitting up. At some point in the night, Boss had rolled over in his sleep and captured the smaller bitty, wrapping both arms around him. Cappy was now being hugged to Boss' chest like a teddy bear, enduring the snoring of his bigger companion right in his non-existent ear.</p><p>Terrific.</p><p>Cappy scratched at the ground with both hands, trying to twist out of Boss' iron hug without waking him. But no matter how he squirmed, there was no escaping the larger bitty's powerful arms, locked tightly around him in a deep sleep. He idly wondered if Boss had left behind a companion bitty in his former home and this was a common occurrence. He couldn't recall Boss bitty types being the kind that required companions. There was a large book about all the bitty types for adopters, displayed on one of the tables at the center. Cappy had leafed through it, studying other bitty traits out of boredom one day.</p><p>He thought about the fact that Boss was an abandoned bitty. He knew full well what that meant...he had heard workers at the center refer in passing to “abandons” before, saying they were sometimes found out on the streets and were generally more mistrustful and hostile towards humans. He had never seen one, but it made sense to Cappy that a bitty willing to abandon their families and run away <em>would</em> be the type to be hostile and unpleasant. Made sense for someone like that to not want to stay around humans. But why consent to being adopted at all, if you hated humans in general? Seemed like a massive waste of everyone's time.</p><p>When he first heard about it, he almost thought the phrase might indicate that the humans themselves did the abandoning, but that was ridiculous. You don't spend a lot of money to adopt someone and then just throw them out. That made no sense, from either a financial or logical standpoint.</p><p>Freeing one arm carefully from Boss' grasp, Cappy picked up a fragment of leaf from the bedding they were on, rolling it up into a little cylinder the size of a bitty pencil.</p><p>What could have been Boss' reason for abandoning his family, then? Running away and choosing to live in a cardboard box, rather than a nice, comfortable home? He must have done something dreadfully wrong. Overwhelmed by guilt, or perhaps driven by a generally petty and unpleasant nature, Boss fled his family and ended up out here.</p><p>He examined the little leafy tube he had made, admiring the fine detail of veins inside of it, and the way the light filtered through the translucent greenery.</p><p>Oh well. Not his business, after all.</p><p>Cappy reached his arm over his shoulder and shoved the leaf up Boss' nose.</p><p>“FFNAGHHH! AAGH!” Boss snorted and clawed at his face, momentarily releasing Cappy in a sleepy attempt to dislodge whatever was obstructing his nasal opening. Cappy rolled deftly away and stood up, expecting Boss to jump to his feet and start a brand-new day of complaining and yelling.</p><p>Instead, Boss scratched at his face, freeing the leaf fragment, before curling back up on the ground and falling asleep again. Cappy watched him, chin resting in one hand, the other supporting his elbow.</p><p>Odd. Bosses usually needed very little sleep.</p><p>He decided not to wake the bigger bitty, instead walking about in the grass to stretch his legs. His thoughts turned to the journey ahead. If Boss' math was correct, they had four more full days of walking ahead of them before reaching the Golden Valley Winery. They might conceivably cut that down to a little over two days by forcing an eighteen hour march per day, but that was ludicrous. Even a Boss bitty couldn't walk for that long without rest. No, it would have to be a daily walk of about 8-10 hours at the most, with rest breaks. Of course without any food, this would become exponentially more difficult.</p><p>Cappy retrieved his boots from under the rock, putting them back on and then, after a moment's thought, climbing up to the top of the large rock to survey the road.</p><p>What they needed was a vehicle. He realized he hadn't seen one on the road throughout all of yesterday, but surely <em>some</em> cars came this way? It was early morning and perhaps the commuting hours would bring more traffic. They could try that “hitchhiking” thing he had read about in a few articles about backpacking through Europe.</p><p>He sat down, legs crossed, on top of the rock and watched the road patiently. His feet felt much, much better than they had the night before. He didn't like to admit it, but the unconscious cuddling Boss had subjected him to during the night had really helped heal up his soreness. Bitties were fairly fast healers, but in times of stress or pain they would seek comfort, either from humans or other bitties, to accelerate the process. Comfort could boost their healing magic, sometimes significantly, while stress or unhappiness could hinder it. Boss' iron hug must have helped out Cappy's aching feet quite a bit.</p><p>Cappy wondered if that was why Boss did it, even while asleep. Was Boss stressed or in pain? He denied being tired and Cappy was inclined to believe him. Bosses were incredibly strong. But perhaps he was feeling stressed out and anxious by the trip.</p><p>It didn't help that yelling in frustration was a Boss' natural method of communication at all times. Made it hard for one to determine if they were genuinely under stress or not.</p><p>Sitting in silence in the early morning light, Cappy waited on the rock, until he was finally rewarded with the sound of an approaching vehicle. The car approached rapidly, heading in the direction of Golden Valley. Cappy stood up with a triumphant shout, waving his arms frantically over his head to get the driver's attention.</p><p>“Over Here!” he yelled, as the car approached him. “Down Here, Human! A Little Assistance, Please!”</p><p>The car sped down the road towards him. It drew close enough that Cappy could just barely make out the face of the driver in the car, when he was pulled violently backwards, off the rock. He landed in the dirt roughly, with Boss standing over him, still holding onto the back of his scarf.</p><p>“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Boss yelled, as Cappy sat up to dust himself off, yanking his scarf out of the bigger bitty's hand.</p><p>“I Was T<em>rying</em> To Secure Us A Ride, So We Don't Have To Walk!” Cappy yelled back. “Why Did You Ruin It? There May Not Be Another Car On This Road For The Rest Of The Day!”</p><p>“ARE YOU SERIOUSLY AS STUPID AS THAT?” Edge bellowed, even as Cappy stood up and turned his back on the furious bitty. “DO YOU WANT TO BE GRABBED BY THE WRONG HUMAN? MAYBE END UP IN THE FIGHTING RINGS?”</p><p>“The What?” Cappy asked, looking over his shoulder at Boss, who clammed up immediately, folding his arms over his chest and looking away. He was silent for a moment, before huffing to himself irritation.</p><p>“SHUT UP AND STAY PUT,” he growled, pointing to the ground at Cappy's feet before stomping away into the bushes.</p><p>“Wait!” Cappy called, and Boss momentarily re-emerged from the shrubbery, pointing at the ground again.</p><p>“STAY! PUT! SURELY EVEN A SIMPLETON LIKE YOURSELF CAN UNDERSTAND THOSE TWO WORDS!”</p><p>He disappeared back into the bushes.</p><p>“<em>Surely A Simpleton Like Yourseeeeelf</em>,” Cappy mocked in a whining voice under his breath, before marching over to grab his luggage bag, arranging it on the ground so he could sit on it. He crossed his arms and stared at the bushes petulantly. He was being childish and he knew it. But he'd had nothing to eat for who knows how long and it was causing him a headache and no end of irritation. Right now, he'd usually be sitting in a small private bathtub in the back of the adoption center, enjoying the suds and relaxing, before toweling off to go read a new book in his bedroom, or sample a slice of aged cheese Myra had bought for him at the grocery store. Perhaps engage her in a short game of chess before lunch.</p><p>This is why he never spent time around the other bitties. They were all irritating and loud and argumentative and...<em>common.</em></p><p>Cappy waited in annoyed silence, until Boss eventually came stomping back through the bushes, carrying a load of something in his arms. He smelled of some strange, grassy scent that Cappy couldn't place. Boss dumped his armload of items on the ground in front of Cappy without ceremony.</p><p>“HERE. EAT.”</p><p>“And What Is This?” Cappy asked, picking up one of the objects. It was a sort of spiraled, curled-up plant, tightly wound around and into itself. It seemed about the size of a dinner plate to him.</p><p>FIDDLEHEADS. EAT THEM SO WE CAN HURRY UP AND LEAVE.” Boss stuffed one of the mysterious plants in his mouth, chewing loudly. Cappy frowned, but gave an experimental nibble to the odd plant. It had a grassy, sort of raw spinach type of taste.</p><p>“Interesting,” he conceded. “Where Do These Come From?”</p><p>“FERNS.” Boss was on his second fiddlehead and seemingly in no mood to elaborate. Cappy took another bite, chewed and swallowed, before making a face.</p><p>“I Don't Suppose There Are Other Wild Delicacies To Be Had?” he inquired. Boss snorted and rolled his eyes.</p><p>“AS A MATTER OF FACT, I PASSED A SEAFOOD BUFFET ON MY WAY BACK. BUT THE SWORDFISH LOOKED A BIT OFF AND THE SALAD LINE WAS TOO LONG.” He shot Cappy a withering look.</p><p>Cappy curled up a bit in embarrassment and spoke no more, nibbling on the fiddlehead in his hands. They both ate in silence for some time. When the fiddleheads were all gone, Boss stood up, brushing his pants off brusquely and indicated to Cappy with a jerk of his head that they should get going.</p><p>Cappy sighed, hoisting his luggage once more with one arm, still feeling very hungry for a proper meal. This was not going to be an easy day.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p>The second day of the journey was much like the first. They walked along the side of the country road, Cappy carrying his bag and leading the way, Boss bringing up the rear while constantly looking out for any signs of trouble. They each walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts for quite a while. At length, Cappy spoke up.</p><p>“What Was That You Said Before, About Fighting Rings?” He looked over his shoulder at Boss, who had stopped darting glances around to either side of the road and now focused on Cappy.</p><p>“WHAT?”</p><p>“About Fighting Rings. You Mentioned Them Earlier,” Cappy repeated. Boss crossed his arms over his chest and averted his gaze.</p><p>“IT'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.”</p><p>“I'm Not Worried, Merely Curious.”</p><p>“WELL, DON'T BE!” Boss snapped at him. “BEING CURIOUS CAN GET YOU KILLED!”</p><p>Cappy turned back to watch the ground in front of him as he walked, head a little lower. After a time, he heard a frustrated sigh behind him.</p><p>“YOU DON'T NEED...OR <em>WANT</em>...TO KNOW ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS,” he heard Boss say. “JUST KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF BAD HUMANS IN THIS WORLD. ONES YOU DON'T WANT TO RUN ACROSS.”</p><p>“I...Certainly Hope There Are None Like That At The Winery,” Cappy replied slowly, watching his own feet as he walked. “Then Again, I Doubt There Would Be. Reprehensible People Surely Wouldn't Be Able To Get Honest Work.”</p><p>Behind him, Boss laughed, though there was no real joy in it.</p><p>“THE SO-CALLED GOOD HUMANS ARE SOMETIMES WORSE. I HOPE YOU LIKE BEING DRESSED UP IN AN ABSURD LITTLE OUTFIT AND PUT ON A LEASH.”</p><p>“You're Just Making That Up To Annoy Me,” Cappy said, frowning at this idea.</p><p>“AM NOT.”</p><p>“Where Do You Even Get Your Information?”</p><p>He looked to the side as Boss had caught up to him, walking beside Cappy now while giving him a curious look.</p><p>“DO YOU HONESTLY NEVER TALK TO THE OTHER BITTIES AT THE CENTER?” he marveled. Cappy turned his metaphorical nose up in the air.</p><p>“I Don't Care To Have Anything To Do With The Likes Of Hyper Blues Or Bad-Mannered Edgies. If You Haven't Noticed, I'm A Much Higher-Quality Bitty.”</p><p>“YOU'RE A MUCH DUMBER ONE, I'VE NOTICED,” Boss said. He continued even as Cappy opened his mouth to indignantly protest. “I'M SURPRISED YOU WOULD WILLINGLY CUT YOURSELF OFF FROM SOURCES OF FREE INFORMATION.”</p><p>Cappy shut his mouth, pondered this, then turned away haughtily, choosing to focus ahead on the road.</p><p>They walked on in silence, side by side. Cappy inwardly fumed over the seeming neverending stream of insults to which he'd been subjected thus far. He knew Bosses were difficult and prickly, but surely <em>this</em> Boss could suppress himself for just a little while? Was the difficulty of their journey not bad enough?</p><p>He shifted his luggage to his other hand, giving his former arm a rest. His things were so heavy and he was growing more and more irritated at having to carry them. Would it kill the bigger, stronger Boss to offer to take his bag for a while? It would be so much easier for Boss to carry. Cappy's arms felt like they were going to fall off. If only the wheel hadn't broken.</p><p>But if Boss had noticed Cappy having trouble with his bag, he didn't remark on it. He almost seemed to enjoy the smaller bitty's discomfort. Or perhaps that was Cappy's imagination.</p><p>Finally, they reached the hour of mid-day, and Cappy abruptly turned from the road to sit down on a flat rock by the edge of the treeline. He'd been eyeing that rock since it came into view and he was determined to rest his aching arms.</p><p>He flopped himself down onto the rock, breathing heavily as he dropped the luggage bag on the ground next to him. Boss strode over to sit on the rock as well, snorting at Cappy's exertions.</p><p>“RIDICULOUS. YOU REALLY AREN'T FIT FOR TRAVEL,” he said. Cappy was too tired to argue, only shooting Boss an ugly look. Boss smirked at him, then stood up and disappeared into the nearby shrubs.</p><p>Cappy turned over and sat up, catching his breath. After a bit, he reached down and unzipped his luggage, pulling out a clean white shirt from inside. He unwound the scarf at his neck, folding it neatly into his lap and, glancing around as if someone might be watching, he cautiously unbuttoned his uniform jacket.</p><p>He <em>hated</em> the feeling of wearing the same shirt two days in a row. It was so unsanitary. He quickly stripped off his old undershirt and tucked it into a side pocket of his luggage, then pulled the new one on over his head. Putting his jacket back on and doing up all the little gold buttons, he sighed with a small relief at feeling cleaner. Even if they were out in the wilderness, there was no need to live like savages.</p><p>Boss re-emerged from the woods with another armload of fiddleheads and this time Cappy ate them without complaint. He was far too hungry to turn away anything edible. Privately, he wondered how Boss knew where to look for food. All the plants looked the same to Cappy: green, anchored in the ground and sort of more or less leafy.</p><p>Boss briefly vanished again, returning with a curled-up leaf that held a small amount of water in its center, no doubt gathered from leftover dew or rain underneath a heavily shaded bush. They both drank from the leaf in silence.</p><p>Far too soon, Boss decided that the break was over and stood up. Cappy groaned to himself, rubbing a hand across his face in resignation. He reached down to pick up his luggage, but encountered only air. Looking around, he noted his bag was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“ARE YOU COMING OR NOT?” Boss called from the road, impatiently tapping one black boot. Cappy looked to see that Boss had his luggage slung carelessly over one shoulder.</p><p>“I...Are You-” he began, but Boss cut him off.</p><p>“IF YOU WANT TO SIT THERE AND EVENTUALLY EXPIRE FROM BOREDOM, BE MY GUEST! BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND, HURRY UP!” Without waiting for a response, he turned and marched off down the road.</p><p>Eye sockets wide with surprise, Cappy jumped up from the small rock and hurried off to catch up to the bigger bitty, boots clacking along the asphalt. They walked silently off down the road, side by side.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Cappy: Just because we're outside, doesn't mean we can't be clean and decent.</p><p>Also Cappy: SOMEONE PRY ME OUT OF THESE IDIOT BOOTS, MY FEET ARE KILLING ME, GOD WHY</p><p> Boss and Cappy can eat wild fiddlehead ferns because bitties don’t have to worry about bacteria and such. If you want to harvest your own fiddleheads in the spring, be sure to wash them thoroughly and cook them (preferably in a light oil or butter), never eat them raw!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Based on the "Farmhouse Bitties" comics on my tumblr, @Sons-of-Sirens. Please go there for more art and comics!</p><p>Also you might check out my main Undertale comedy story, Full Deck! Full-size Cappies and Bosses guaranteed!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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